Comfort & Clue
by DrKCooper
Summary: A post-ep for "The Boxer" (02x07).


_Disclaimer: All recognizable _For the People_ characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to ABC and Shondaland. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fan fiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended._

Author's note: This is a post-ep for "The Boxer" (02x07). You can count me among the biggest 'shippers of this pairing. -dkc

**Comfort & Clue**

"What are you doing here?" Sandra looked up and found Kate standing outside the ring watching her spar with the air, aggressively, angrily.

"I was told you might be here."

Stepping out of the ring and unwrapping her hands, Sandra avoided eye contact with the prosecutor. She felt the tears in her eyes and preferred hiding them.

"I called your office," Kate offered by way of explanation.

Sandra dropped to a bench and Kate followed suit. They sat much the same as they had the night before when they met for advice and the promised pretzel. Kate smiled inwardly at the thought of them purchasing Clue at a 24-hour CVS and finding a chess table in the park under a streetlight where they cracked open the board game and played until Sandra said she needed to go back to the office.

"Kate."

Placing a hand over Sandra's, gently tracing a line of tape residue, the blonde waited for Sandra to speak her mind.

"I'm angry, Kate. So angry," she sighed.

"You were in an impossible situation. Nobody judges you for the decision you made. You couldn't have known if the officer was alive or not. How angry would you have been if you did nothing and he had been alive, dying slowly on that refuge?" she spoke, matching with her voice the soft way she touched Sandra's hand.

Tears fell down the public defender's cheeks, joining her sweat. She gripped Kate's hand tightly to ground herself and prevent all out sobbing.

"I can't conclude that I would have done the same—that I would have had the courage to do the same," Kate looked at their hands and avoided analyzing the feelings that surfaced every time she was in the company of this woman.

Sandra dropped her head to Kate's shoulder.

"Thank you for meeting me last night. Thank you for not making me go to Leonard Knox myself. I couldn't look him in the eye. I couldn't...not him."

Kate's brow furrowed at the mention of Leonard. She didn't understand.

"Why not Knox?" she asked.

"He... The two of you... I think he knows that I feel, I mean, about you," Sandra's answer was but a serious of fragments.

"Could you please string all of that into a coherent sentence?" Kate had a great poker face, but even she struggled to hide her facial expressions at the anticipation of what Sandra might say. Thankfully Sandra couldn't see her face.

"You are friends. You were something else once..." Sandra's voice trailed off. "He sat in my office and noticed that my desk had flags and post-it notes. It's not your desk, of course, nothing like that, but it's obvious you've affected me. He picked up on that."

Kate hadn't been in Sandra's office since the last time when it looked like a tornado had hit. She smiled at the thought of her touch now being on the office, her touch on Sandra. She then realized what Sandra meant about Knox.

"We were never anything else. He wanted more than friendship. I didn't. I was interested in someone else," Kate explained.

This brought Sandra's head up and she turned her body toward Kate.

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, a slight tilt at the corner of her mouth.

"An ATF agent. It was short lived."

"You and an ATF agent? That wasn't too complicated for Kate Littlejohn?" Sandra teased; she was genuinely curious.

"She wasn't complicated, but yes, it was," she said matter-of-factly.

Sandra thought about how nice it was that they had never had to discuss sexuality. Their chemistry had been obvious and that's all that was necessary.

"Not as complicated as..." Sandra's voice fell off.

"This."

They both understood the precarious position they were in as opponents in the courtroom. Prosecutors and public defenders toed a fine line as it was. However, Sandra kept thinking of the moment she came across not more than an hour ago with Roger and Jill. Maybe it was possible for this to work. Roger and Jill were risking far more than Kate and Sandra.

"Kate, I..." she started and stopped when she recognized the slight movement of the blonde.

Kate Littlejohn had made a decision and when she made a decision she did not turn back. Her mouth found Sandra's and they kissed softly yet decisively. A tiny hand came to rest on the knee of the prosecutor. It wasn't enough for Sandra. She soon had that hand on the back of Kate's neck, pulling her into the now aggressive and fiery kiss. When they broke, Sandra was sweating again. They were short on air and fueled by emotion.

"You will pay for my suit to be laundered," Kate deadpanned.

For the first time in two days Sandra laughed. She took Kate's hand once again.

"Why don't you shower and get dressed and come over so I can make you dinner?" Kate wasn't exactly asking.

"Kate Littlejohn cooks," she grinned.

Knocking her shoulder into Sandra's, the blonde smiled. She could get used to this.

-_finis_-


End file.
